Energy
Tesla aids Sydney’s 50% renewable energy goal with new Powerpack installation
Tesla’a industrial-grade Powerpack batteries have been deployed on Sydney’s new renewable energy project at the Alexandra Canal transport depot. The installation, comprised of 1,600 solar panels and a 500 KWh Tesla Powerpack battery system, was opened by Lord Mayor Clover Moore on Wednesday.
The Alexandra Canal transport depot system is part of Sydney’s ongoing initiative to power half the city with renewable energy. In a statement to The Sydney Morning Herald, the Lord mayor stated that there are other, similar projects in the pipeline.
“We’re working towards a target of 50% of all electricity in the City of Sydney area to come from renewables by 2030. To help us achieve that target, we’re covering the roofs of our properties with as many solar panels as possible. By mid-2021, we expect to have more than 7800 solar panels on the roofs of our properties (approximately 1.5 MWh of battery storage across the city’s buildings). As the mix of storage and generation on our electricity grid changes, solar solutions like this could provide reliability and resilience to our electricity network and potentially prevent blackouts,” she said.
As an added note, Lord Mayor Moore stated that with the system in place, the Alexandra Canal transport depot could be classified as a carbon-neutral facility, saving roughly ~600 tonnes in carbon dioxide emissions per year.
Just like the immensely successful Tesla Powerpack farm near Jamestown in South Australia, the Alexandra Canal system will be tasked to provide backup power to the depot as necessary, allowing the facility to reduce its demand on the grid during peak times. The usage of the solar panels and Powerpack batteries are set to be remotely managed in real-time by TransGrid, a local electricity transmission group which awarded the Alexandra Canal transport depot contract to the Elon Musk-led company last year. In a statement to the publication, TransGrid chief executive Paul Italiano stated that large-scale batteries such as Tesla’s Powerpacks would be playing a more prominent role in Sydney’s energy network in the years to come.
“This initiative with the City of Sydney will afford the depot a significant amount of energy self-sufficiency while also sharing benefits with the wider community through the electricity network,” he said.
Solar panels installed at the Alexandra Canal Depot are supported by Tesla Powerpack batteries.
While Tesla’s energy business recently saw the closure of 12 solar facilities across the United States as part of the company’s ongoing workforce restructuring, the company’s energy projects continue to gain ground abroad. As noted by Elon Musk, Tesla Energy has approximately 11,000 ongoing projects in Puerto Rico, where the company continues to help the island nation get back on their feet after getting ravaged by Hurricane Maria last year. Tesla was also involved in providing stable electricity for the first time in a remote area in the Philippines.
Tesla’s Powerpacks are starting to become the battery storage solution of choice for high-profile businesses across the globe as well. Earlier this year, Manchester Science Partnerships (MSP), one of the UK’s most prominent science and technology park operators, opted to install Powerpacks on its headquarters. In the Middle East, Bee’ah CEO Khaled Al Huraimel noted that their upcoming, futuristic, headquarters in Sharjah would also be using Tesla Powerpack batteries, together with a fleet of 50 Tesla Semis for their everyday operations.
After the successful rollout of the 129 MWh Powerpack farm in South Australia, Victoria, another state in the country, has also pursued a contract with the Elon Musk-led company to install a 20 MWh Powerpack system. A massive 650 MWh virtual power plant for South Australia, comprised of solar panels and Tesla Powerwall 2 batteries installed in 50,000 homes, has also begun the first phase of its rollout.
Earlier this month, Tesla CTO JB Straubel noted that the company has been able to deploy 1 GWh worth of energy projects to date. During the 2018 Annual Shareholder Meeting, CEO Elon Musk stated that Tesla would “do another Gigawatt project” within the next 12 months, with the rate of stationary storage deployment exponentially growing every year.
“For many years to come, each incremental year will be about as much as all the preceding years, which is a crazy, crazy growth rate,” Musk said.
Energy
Tesla Powerwall distribution expands in Australia
Inventory is expected to arrive in late February and official sales are expected to start mid-March 2026.
Supply Partners Group has secured a distribution agreement for the Tesla Powerwall in Australia, with inventory expected to arrive in late February and official sales beginning in mid-March 2026.
Under the new agreement, Supply Partners will distribute Tesla Powerwall units and related accessories across its national footprint, as noted in an ecogeneration report. The company said the addition strengthens its position as a distributor focused on premium, established brands.
“We are proud to officially welcome Tesla Powerwall into the Supply Partners portfolio,” Lliam Ricketts, Co-Founder and Director of Innovation at Supply Partners Group, stated.
“Tesla sets a high bar, and we’ve worked hard to earn the opportunity to represent a brand that customers actively ask for. This partnership reflects the strength of our logistics, technical services and customer experience, and it’s a win for installers who want premium options they can trust.”
Supply Partners noted that initial Tesla Powerwall stock will be warehoused locally before full commercial rollout in March. The distributor stated that the timing aligns with renewed growth momentum for the Powerwall, supported by competitive installer pricing, consumer rebates, and continued product and software updates.
“Powerwall is already a category-defining product, and what’s ahead makes it even more compelling,” Ricketts stated. “As pricing sharpens and capability expands, we see a clear runway for installers to confidently spec Powerwall for premium residential installs, backed by Supply Partners’ national distribution footprint and service model.”
Supply Partners noted that a joint go-to-market launch is planned, including Tesla-led training for its sales and technical teams to support installers during the home battery system’s domestic rollout.
Energy
Tesla Megapack Megafactory in Texas advances with major property sale
Stream Realty Partners announced the sale of Buildings 9 and 10 at the Empire West industrial park, which total 1,655,523 square feet.
Tesla’s planned Megapack factory in Brookshire, Texas has taken a significant step forward, as two massive industrial buildings fully leased to the company were sold to an institutional investor.
In a press release, Stream Realty Partners announced the sale of Buildings 9 and 10 at the Empire West industrial park, which total 1,655,523 square feet. The properties are 100% leased to Tesla under a long-term agreement and were acquired by BGO on behalf of an institutional investor.
The two facilities, located at 100 Empire Boulevard in Brookshire, Texas, will serve as Tesla’s new Megafactory dedicated to manufacturing Megapack battery systems.
According to local filings previously reported, Tesla plans to invest nearly $200 million into the site. The investment includes approximately $44 million in facility upgrades such as electrical, utility, and HVAC improvements, along with roughly $150 million in manufacturing equipment.
Building 9, spanning roughly 1 million square feet, will function as the primary manufacturing floor where Megapacks are assembled. Building 10, covering approximately 600,000 square feet, will be dedicated to warehousing and logistics operations, supporting storage and distribution of completed battery systems.
Waller County Commissioners have approved a 10-year tax abatement agreement with Tesla, offering up to a 60% property-tax reduction if the company meets hiring and investment targets. Tesla has committed to employing at least 375 people by the end of 2026, increasing to 1,500 by the end of 2028, as noted in an Austin County News Online report.
The Brookshire Megafactory will complement Tesla’s Lathrop Megafactory in California and expand U.S. production capacity for the utility-scale energy storage unit. Megapacks are designed to support grid stabilization and renewable-energy integration, a segment that has become one of Tesla’s fastest-growing businesses.
Energy
Tesla meets Giga New York’s Buffalo job target amid political pressures
Giga New York reported more than 3,460 statewide jobs at the end of 2025, meeting the benchmark tied to its dollar-a-year lease.
Tesla has surpassed its job commitments at Giga New York in Buffalo, easing pressure from lawmakers who threatened the company with fines, subsidy clawbacks, and dealership license revocations last year.
The company reported more than 3,460 statewide jobs at the end of 2025, meeting the benchmark tied to its dollar-a-year lease at the state-built facility.
As per an employment report reviewed by local media, Tesla employed 2,399 full-time workers at Gigafactory New York and 1,060 additional employees across the state at the end of 2025. Part-time roles pushed the total headcount of Tesla’s New York staff above the 3,460-job target.
The gains stemmed in part from a new Long Island service center, a Buffalo warehouse, and additional showrooms in White Plains and Staten Island. Tesla also said it has invested $350 million in supercomputing infrastructure at the site and has begun manufacturing solar panels.
Empire State Development CEO Hope Knight said the agency was “very happy” with Giga New York’s progress, as noted in a WXXI report. The current lease runs through 2029, and negotiations over updated terms have included potential adjustments to job requirements and future rent payments.
Some lawmakers remain skeptical, however. Assemblymember Pat Burke questioned whether the reported job figures have been fully verified. State Sen. Patricia Fahy has also continued to sponsor legislation that would revoke Tesla’s company-owned dealership licenses in New York. John Kaehny of Reinvent Albany has argued that the project has not delivered the manufacturing impact originally promised as well.
Knight, for her part, maintained that Empire State Development has been making the best of a difficult situation.
“(Empire State Development) has tried to make the best of a very difficult situation. There hasn’t been another use that has come forward that would replace this one, and so to the extent that we’re in this place, the fact that 2,000 families at (Giga New York) are being supported through the activity of this employer. It’s the best that we can have happen,” the CEO noted.
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